Pen-Y-Bont Health Policies

Confidentiality

Everyone working in the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential. The practice is a data controller under the Data Protection Act 1998 and is registered with the Protection Commissioner who ensures that information is kept legally and fairly. Information about you may need to be shared with other people, eg registration details with the Business Service Centre in Swansea or Cardiff. In some instances the law requires us to pass on information eg to notify a birth. All persons receiving information from us will also have a legal responsibility to keep your information confidential.

Click here to download the information leaflet "Your information,Your rights, What you need to know" which explains why NHS Wales collects information about you and how this may be used.

Comments and Complaints

We like to receive compliments but we also want to know if we can improve our services to you, so please let us know.

Pen Y Bont Health's complaints procedure adheres to the NHS Wales Guidelines, a copy of which is available in any of our surgery receptions. We aim to acknowledge written complaints within two working days of receipt and resolve the matter within 10 working days.

You can also contact CHC Advocacy service:

CTM UHB
Concern Team
Ynysmeurig House
Navigation Park
Abercynon
CF45 4SN

CHC Advocacy service 01443 403590

Freedom Of Information - Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available. This scheme is available from reception.

Guide to Information provided by GPs under the model publication scheme.

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 all public authorities are required to have and operate a publication scheme approved by the Information Commissioner. Doctors providing medical services under most contracts with the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are public authorities in respect of information relating to those services.

It is the intention of the Information Commissioner that all public authorities should adopt and operate the one model scheme that has been approved. This is a very general scheme based on the principal that all public authorities need to recognize the public interest in the transparency of the services provided for and paid for by the general public. It is a commitment to make information easily available to the public.

Note: The scheme is only for information held as a public authority and does not include any information that is not held, is held for other purposes or would be exempt from release.

The scheme requires three documents to be considered:

The model scheme itself; our guidance on adopting and operating the scheme; and, a guide provided by the public authority indicating what information will be provided, how it will be provided and whether any charge will be made for its provision.

To assist medical practitioners who are public authorities we have produced the outline of a guide for their use. They should consider expanding elements of it to provide greater explanation and additional information where this can be done. For example if there are specific plans for the provision of NHS services these could be detailed. It is not necessary to submit the guide completed by the practice for approval.

We recognize that it is unlikely that GPs are going to have registers available for public inspection and while this remains the case “None Held” can be entered in this section. Under policies and procedures we have listed the policies we would expect practices to have. Again if this is not the case, “Not held” can entered in the relevant part. Any additional policies should also be listed.

Fees should be requested only where this is done in accordance our guidance.

Information available from Pen Y Bont Health providing medical services under contract to the NHS) under the Freedom of Information Act model publication scheme.

Information covered by this scheme is only about the primary, general or personal medical services we provide under contract to the National Health Service.

Information to be published How the information can be obtained (eg hard copy, website) Cost

Class1 - Who we are and what we do

(Organisational information, structures, locations and contacts)

This will be current information only

Practice Leaflet & Website FOC

Doctors in the practice

Practice Leaflet & Website FOC

Contact details for the practice (named contacts where possible with telephone number and email address (if used)

Practice Leaflet & Website FOC

Opening hours

Practice Leaflet & Website FOC

Other staffing details

Practice Leaflet & Website FOC

Class 2 – What we spend and how we spend it

(Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and financial audit)

Current and previous financial year as a minimum

Practice Leaflet & Website FOC

Total cost to the PCT/LHB/HSSB of our contracted services.

Freedom Of Information Nominal

Audit of NHS income

Freedom Of Information Nominal

Class 3 – What our priorities are and how we are doing

(Strategies and plans, performance indicators, audits, inspections and reviews)

Current and previous year as a minimum

Freedom Of Information Nominal

Plans for the development and provision of NHS services

Freedom Of Information Nominal

Class 4 – How we make decisions

(Decision making processes and records of decisions)

Current and previous year as a minimum

Freedom of Information Nominal charge for photocopying

Records of decisions made in the practice affecting the provision of NHS services

Freedom of Information Nominal

Class 5 – Our policies and procedures

(Current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering our services and responsibilities)

Current information only (mark “not held” against any policies not actually held)

Policies and procedures about the employment of staff

Freedom of Information Nominal

Internal instructions to staff and policies relating to the delivery of services

Freedom of Information Nominal

Equality and diversity policy

Freedom of Information Nominal

Health and safety policy

Freedom of Information Nominal

Complaints procedures (including those covering requests for information and operating the publication scheme)

The practice operates within the laid down NHS Complaints procedure. Details can be obtained at reception or from the Practice Manager. FOC

Records management policies (records retention, destruction and archive)

Freedom of Information Nominal

Data protection policies

Freedom of Information Nominal

Policies and procedures for handling requests for information

Freedom of Information Nominal

Patients’ charter

Website & Practice Leaflet FOC

Class 6 – Lists and Registers

Currently maintained lists and registers only

Freedom of Information Nominal charge for photocopying

Any publicly available register or list (if any are held this should be publicised; in most circumstances existing access provisions will suffice)

None held

Class 7 – The services we offer

(Information about the services we offer, including leaflets, guidance and newsletters produced for the public)

Current information only

Practice Leaflet & Website FOC

The services provided under contract to the NHS

Freedom of Information Nominal

Charges for any of these services

Freedom of Information Nominal

Information leaflets

Practice Leaflet & Website FOC

Out of hours arrangements

Practice Leaflet & Website FOC

Zero Tolerance Policy

A zero tolerance policy towards violent, threatening and abusive behaviour is now in place throughout the NHS.

The doctors, nurses and staff in this practice have the right to do their work in an environment free from violent, threatening or abusive behaviour and everything will be done to protect that right.

At no time will any such behaviour be tolerated in this practice.

If you do not respect the rights of our staff we may choose to inform the police and make arrangements for you to be removed from our medical list.

Ashfield Surgery also reserves the right to remove any patient seen to be making abusive or defamatory remarks on any social networking site (Face book/Twitter etc).

Please be aware that by posting online anything that can be construed as slanderous will be treated as abuse and appropriate action will be taken by the Practice.

FuLL Privacy Notice and GDPR Compliance

To read our full privacy notice and GDPR Compliance statement please click here.